I took this photo yesterday at the end of the
Minuteman Trail in Bedford, Mass. Looking at it later, it occurred to me that everything here is from another era. This might as well have been taken several decades ago. The Autumn scenery is probably a big contributor to the nostalgic feel.
This train car of the defunct
Boston and Maine Railroad is now a merely decorative presence at the end of the Rail Trail. The heyday and downfall of
Boston and Maine followed a similar timeline as the heyday and downfall of the Raleigh Roadsters. Will the charming regional train lines ever make a comeback? I would like that. And I hope they allow bicycles on board.
Beautiful! Have you named your DL1? Do you have a bell for it? You could have a little christening ceremony and outfit it with both at the same time!
ReplyDeleteAs it happens, I did name her: Velouria.
ReplyDeleteGood eye for detail - I do still need to fit it with a bell and lights. Didn't think I would ride this bike sufficiently to necessitate that, but looks like I was wrong. 20 and 30 mile trips are a piece of cake for this fabulous machine; I don't even break a sweat! The bell would have been particularly helpful on the Minuteman trail on Sunday. DL-1s rule!
Lovely pics and Lovely Bicycle! Good to hear that she is so good for long rides. You'll have to find her the perfect DingDong bell now :-)
ReplyDeleteWe have the same issue with country and regional railways no longer being in use. It's a real shame. Thankfully a lot of the old stations still exist and have been put to other uses. But what a wistful thought - taking one's bike on a train journey upstate and having it at the other end to get about on. So much more restful than driving hundreds of kilometres.
I absolutely love your DL-1. Its the ultimate -- and the Delta Cruisers really set it off. These photos make me miss New England, where I went to graduate school. Its not bad back in my hometown of San Diego, but autumn is the greatest in NE.
ReplyDeleteYour DL-1 would look good with one of those Japanese brass bells,and sound even better.
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, we have been enjoying what trains there are in the region. It's particularly fun to ride out to Lowell, have a nice meal, and then take the train back to North Station. I thought I posted about the wonderful train cars, but I can't find the post. Maybe I should do it again.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments, and I will look for a bell this week : )
ReplyDeleteCharlotte - Me too. I ride the regional rail to Providence and Worcester when I need to go there, and of course I would never take anything but a train to NYC. But most points of interest for me - areas of Maine and NH have no train connections. At least they succeeded in bringing back the Boston-Portland line a few years ago; that's a pretty exciting development.
Love it!
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